System for transporting freight



June 21, l938.-- I J. BAYERL 2,121,181 1 VSYSTEII FOR mmronflne FREIGHT Filed m 25; 1953' is Sheets-Sheet 1' Fig.3

'INVENTOR June 21, 1938. E L 2,121,181

SYSTEM FOR IRANSPORTING FREIQHT Filed May 25, 1933 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 I01 /o, r-

INVENTOR f Patented June 21, 1938 *UNITEDF STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,121,181 SYSTEM FOR 'ritANsroa'rrNG FREIGHT Karl J Bayerl, Willoughby, Ohio Application May 23, 1933, Serial No. 672,434

1' Claims. '(ci. 21438) My invention relates to a system for transporting freight between a, consignors premises and a consignees premises, in which freight 'is received at the former on a transporting means a and is by the same means in combinationwith a railway system transported intact to the lat-.- ter without the necessity of rehandling the to find simplified and practical ways and meansof'reducing the cost of operation, so that the cost of shipping merchandise does not tend to become either prohibitive or too large a factor in '20 the ultimate costv of the merchandise. Itv is a known fact that branch railway systems, emanating from densely populated railway terminal points and extending into less" populated and more rural districts, incur a maintenance cost out of proportion to the earning value of these branch lines. The cost of operating these branch lines must of necessity be absorbed in the entire operating cost of a railway system and increases the general freight rate, which is in many cases not only out of proportion to the prices obtained for the merchandise shipped thereby, butjplaces a more or less high finite limitation on the possibilities of further reducing such freight rates. My system contemplates a method of freight handling in which practical and greatly simplified means for using motor trucks and trailers in combination with trunk railway lines permit of substantial reductions in operating costs, while at the same time tending to increase the speed and safety of the service.

i It is a general object of my improved system to utilize 'flfth-wheel trailer type motor trucks for collecting freight on the premises of the consignor, properly stowing such freight on board 5 the trailer, transporting the trailer to a railway terminal point, disconnecting the trailer from its tractor and moving it bodily sidewise in a general parallel relation with and on board a suitable railway car, transporting the car to a second 59 terminal point, removing the trailer bodily sidewise in a general parallel relation with and from .the railway car at the latter terminal point, connecting the-trailer to a second tractor and thereuponadelivering the freight therein to the con I6 signees premises.

It is a further object to provide simple economical and dependable means for moving large or small trailers sidewise in a general parallel relation with and onto a railway car by use of power from the tractor only, so that freight 5 laden trailers. may be readily and easily loaded aboard a railway car with great dispatch and with the services of relatively few attendants.

It is a further object of my invention to provide hinged or extensible elements which extend w between an adjacent platform and a railway car, forming tracks or runways over which suitable trailer supporting carriers may be run while loading or unloading a trailer onto or from a railway car. 15

It is a further specific object to provide a simple effective mechanism for loading and unload- 1 ing trailers aboard a railway car which is adapted to disengage the trailer from its tractor and support the disengaged trailer in a position to be moved sidewise in a substantially parallel rela-- tion with and onto a railway car, and which sub-' s'equently may be used in a like manner to unload the trailer and support it ina position for reengagement with a second tractor. 25

It is a still further specific object of my invention to provide means for loading fifth-wheel typ'e trailers side wise on board a drop frame type railway car, by which the fifth-wheel 'or -front end of the trailer is supported on the high piat- 3 form of the railway car and the rear or road Wheel end of the trailer is supported on the low platform of the car, the trailer at all times being supported in substantially its normal operating position.

It is another specific object of my invention to provide a system of and means for loading fifth-wheel type trailers on board a drop frame type railway car, which permits close spacing of the adjacent complementary sides or ends of 40 trailers so loaded, thereby permitting longer trailers to be loaded on a given car or a shorter car to'be used. for given lengths of trailers.

Various other advantages and objects of my improved system will be apparent as it is more fully described in connection with the attached drawings in which,

Fig, 1 is an elevation of a depressed type platform car having two trailers loaded thereon.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of Fig. 1 showing a loaded car alongside a loading or unloading platform.

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view along the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is an end view of that shown in Fig. 1,

showing partial details of unloading a trailer.

. and temporarily secured to a,transverse support Fig. 5 is an elevation showing apparatus used in detaching a trailer from a tractor prior to loading on or attaching a trailer after unloading from a railway car.

Fig. 6 is a partial elevation of the view shown in Fig. 5 illustrating a slightly different platform apparatus for use in loading or unloading the trailers.

Fig. 7 is a diagrammatic view of apparatus used for loading a trailer on a railway car.

Fig. 8 is a similar diagrammatic view of apparatus used for unloading a trailer from a railway car.

Fig. 9 is a diagrammatic view of cable connections to a trailer during unloading.

Fig. 10 is an end elevation of a loaded flat car showing hinged skids used in loading or unloading trailers on the car.

Fig. 11 is a plan view of Fig. 10 showing the skids in their downmost position.

Fig. 12 is an enlarged detail view of a type of support for supporting the trailer on a railway flat car. I

Fig. 13 is a side view of the support shown in .Fig. 12.

Referring now to Figs. 1, 2, and 3, there are shown trailers designated in their entirety at l0, mounted on a depressed type or drop frame railway car, designated in its entirety at I 2. When the trailers are loaded on a car of the type shown. the wheels are supported in carriers l4, which comprise a frame mechanism It having rollers i8 secured therein and adapted to run in a guiding track on the floor 22 of the car l2. The front or towing end of the trailer is supported on ing .beamv carrier 24 having rollers 26 secured thereto. which are adapted to run in a guiding track 28 secured to the floor 22 of the car l2. Each trailer has a'kingpin III which coacts with a suitable towing mechanism on a towing tractor, the details of which are well known to those familiar with the art. When loading or unloading the trailers on board the railway car they may be moved sidewise from an adjacent platform 22 by use of the carriers l4 and 24 tracking in the channel members 34 and 28, the former being supported at one end on the railway car l2 and at the other end by a Jack mechanism ll (see Figs. 4 and 5) ,.and the latter being supported by the platform 22. The channels 36 may be slidable transversely of the platform 32 in a specially formed slot or duct 40, as is shown in Fig. .5, or may be similarly placed in a movable inclined plane 42, illustrated in Fig. 6. This inclined plane 42 may be moved to any desired point on the platform and does not require spotting of the railway car as is-neeessary in the case of the slot built into the platform. The inclined plane 42 may be constructed of light fabricated steel and be made a part of the railway car equipment. For example, it may be hinged at one end on the side of the railway car and during shipment held in an upward position, such as indicated for the skids O8 in Fig. 10 (more fully hereinafter referred to) and swungdownwardly during loading or unloading,

as there shown. I

The slidable channels 34 and 3' may also be made a part of the railway car equipment. For example they' may be carried separately on the car and suitably placed in position during load-- ing orunloading, or may be adapted to slide in and out from the ear platform proper, to provide suitable guiding tracks for loading or unloading the trailers. It will be obvious that a number of such arrangements may be worked out and it is intended that these be included within the scope of this invention. 4

In many instances fifth-wheel type trailers are provided with adjustable supporting means for supporting the trailer in position to be attached to a towing tractor, and where such is provided on the trailer the raising and lowering jack mechanism 38 may be omitted and a rigid stanchion substituted therefor, in which case the adjustable supporting means attached to the trailer may be used in supporting it before loading and after unloading while attaching to the tractor.

In Fig. ,7 is shown diagrammatically an arrangement of cables and pulleys for loading a trailer on a railway car. There the trailer is assumed to be loaded from a convenient platform on the right. A cable 42 is attached to an eye in one side of the trailer at 44 and extends over pulleys 46'and 52 on the railway car, thence over a pulley 54 on the tractor, to the winch mechanism 58 on the rear of the tractor, which is more clearly indicated in Fig. 5.

In Fig. 8 is shown a similar method for unload ing a trailer from a railway car. There'the cable 60 is shown as connected to an eye 82 on the trailer, thence over a pulley 63 secured to an eye 6i in the platform, and thereafter over the pulley 54 on the tractor, to the winch mechanism 58 on the tractor. An alternative arrangement is shown in dotted lines, the cable 80 overrunning a pulley 61 in a hinged bracket 48, adapted to swing upwardly onto the car floor 22 by the hinge 50, and thence over the pulleys 53, 55, and 54 to'the winch mechanism 58. It will be obvious from both Figures '1 and 8 that the tractor provides the necessary power to both load and unload a trailer, and that the mechanism shown employs simple cable and pulley arrangements, which are well known devices for such purposes.-

Inconnecting the cable to the trailer as at the points 44 and 62 it may be desirable to fork the pulling cable so" as to connect at two points, as indicated in Fig. 9, to insure that the trailer is moved on or off the carsmoothly and without a twisting movement. While I have shown an arrangement of cables and pulleys actuated by power from a towing tractor it will be obvious that other apparatus may be used, and power supplied from another source, such for example as a winch mechanism on. the adjacent platform. Again it may be desirable to have the eyes or rings Bl embedded in the loading and unloading platform. to which the pulleys 83 may be secured when unloading, as is illustrated in Fig. 9, for more conveniently connecting to the winch mechanism El on the tractor. The eyes or rings 4| may be suitably spaced along the opposite edge of the platform away from the railway car I2. thereby providing a number of convenient points for attaching pulleys.

In Fig. 10 is shown an arrangement in which hinged skids 88 are adapted to be swung upwardly and held against the sides of the trailer by suitable tie rods 10 during shipment, and on loading or unloading the trailer are swung downwardly to a position as indicated in dot and dash lines at the right. The skids may be comprised of channel members 14. suitably secured on a plate member 18 which is hinged to the car platform as at 12, or they may be simple structural channel members indicated at 15, as is shown in Fig. 11. Skids are provided on both sides of the 76' railway car so that loading or unloading may take place from either side. To hold the trailers in rigid position on the railway car a mechanism'as illustrated in Figs. 12 and 13 may be used. Amovable stanchion 80 is hinged on a cam shaft 82, which may be actuated by a lever 84 to raise, or lower the stanchion when positioned under a corner-or edge of a trailer body 86 to relieve the trailer tires of the trailer and freight weight during transportation on the car. Strain rods 88 and turnbuckles 90 may bes'uitably connected to the stanchion 80 and the car floor to add rigidity and stiffness. Cushioning pads 92, of rubber or the like, may be inserted between the stanchion and trailer body to absorb shock and prevent wear at this point. As many stanchion supports may be used as isdesired.

In carrying out my system of handling freight many combinations of routings may be worked out and to illustrate this I shall describe one in detail. If it is assumed that the cities of Chicago adjacent to each, a description of the operation of my system in connection therewith will readily indicate its many advantages For example, let it be supposed that two shippers, A and B, in the vicinity of Cleveland wish to ship merchandise to consignees C and D in the vicinity of Chicago. At Cleveland a single tractor may be used, first to transport an empty trailer to his premises, which may be left there while being loaded with As goods to be shipped. Thetractor then transports a second trailer to Bs premises for a like The tractor then calls at As premises,

purpose. receives the loaded trailer and thereupon hauls is to a railway terminal point in the city of Cleveland. On arriving at the railway terminal point the tractor places the trailer in a position such as indicated in Fig. 5, that is, the rear wheels are run into the carrier mechanism I4 and the front s end of the trailer is jacked up on the beam carrier 24 by use of the jack 38. Cable and pulley connections are then made as indicated in Fig. 7 and'through power from the tractonthe trailer is moved sideways on the channels 34 and 36 on board the railway car. The-cable and pulley connections are then disconnected and the tractor then proceeds tmB's premises where it picks up the trailer loaded with B's goods and in like manner brings it to the railway terminal point where y it is moved on board the railway car in the manner as just described. The loaded car is now ready for transportation by usual railway methods to the city of Chicago, and on arriving at Chicago the car is placed adjacent a suitable platform and unloaded with power from a suitable tractor by use of the method ilustrated in Fig. 8. The tractor then hauls the first trailer to either C or D, for example to C, and leaves it on Us premises for unloading. The tractor then returns tothe railway terminal point in Chicago, unloads the second trailer and thereafter hauls it to Us premises where it is left for unloading. If in the meantime C has a load to be shipped back to Cleveland he will proceed to so load the trailer which he has just emptied and the tractor may now call at his premises, pick up this trailer and carry it back to the railway terminal in Chicago. It will thus be seen that one tractor at each terminal point may conveniently handle two trailers .with. the greatest of facility, and in some instances it will be apparent one tractor able.

area within a relatively large radius adjacent a terminal point, and not necessarily restricted/to the immediate urban vicinity. As one example, the motor trucks may serve several counties adjacent a terminal point. In serving such a large adjacent area it will be obvious that freight collected from many points in that vicinity may be consigned to 'many points in the vicinity of a second terminal point, in which case it may be necessary to redistribute the freight between trailers at the first terminal point'. 'For example, if it is assumed that freight is collected at'a large number of points in Cook County, Illinois, and transported to a terminal point within the city of Chicago for transportation to points within the vicinity of Cleveland, it is natural to expect that there will be a number of small consignments picked up at various points throughout Cook County for a single given point within the vicinity of Cleveland. It may therefore be desirable to redistribute these consignments so that a complete trailer is made up for this given point in the vicinity of Cleveland. In this manner completely filled trailers for definite points in the vicinity of Cleveland, as for example, Berea. Elyria, etc., may be made up at the first terminal' point, and transported directlyto such places from the second terminal point, thereby simplifying the distribution of the freight and tending to lower the cost of transportation. The same arrangement will of course work in both "directions.

While reference has been made chiefly to loading trailers on a railway car from a platform, provision may also be made for loading or unloading at points where a platform is not avail- This' may be accomplished with the skid arrangements illustrated in Figs. 10 and 11. With such an arrangement the carriers l4 and 24 are still used and the trailer is loaded or unloaded by moving up or down the skid 68 with the apparatus and methods illustrated in Figs. 7 and 8. It will be obvious that instead of the hinged skid arrangement shown, attachable and detachable channels may be used, or channels which slide in and out from the car platform, as heretofore referred to.

It is desirable in such a'case to throw up a temporary embankment alongside the car, to simplify the loading or unloading and so that the power required to skid the trailers onto the railway car would not be more than that which can be supplied by the tractor.

It will thus be seen that my system of freight handling comprises a combinational use of motor trucks and railway systems in which the motor "trucks are used for the short or branch hauls I claim: 1. The method of transporting freight between two points which comprises loading at one point the freight in a trailer having rear wheels and a king pin and adapted to be transferred over an ordinary road, transporting the trailer to a railway terminal, placing the rear wheels onto transverse carriers, placing the-king pin on another transverse carrier, moving the trailer sidewlse onto a drop frame type railway car on said transverse carriers so that said first named transverse carriers are moved onto the lower platform of said car and the last named transverse carriers are moved onto the higher platform of said car, and transporting the car to a second railway terminal, movement of the trailer sidewlse-off the car on said transverse carriers, and transporting the trailer to the other point.

2. The method of shipping freight among a plurality of places which comprises gathering freight from one group of places in highway trailers having rear wheels and a king pin for attachment to a tractor, transporting the loaded tractors, transporting the cars to another railway loading point, moving the trailers sidewlse in a generalparallel relation with and from the cars with power from other tractors, and transporting the trailers to another group of places for unloading. i

'3. The combination with a drop frame railway car, of fifth-wheel highway vehicle trailers supported on said car, the fl'fth'wheel end of the trailers being supported on the high platform of the car and the road wheels of the trailer being supported on the low platform of the car, and carrier means fixedly mounted on the low platform'of the car engaging the. road wheels and carrier means fixedly mounted on the high platform of the car. engaging the fifth-wheel end of the trailers for moving said trailers sidewise oil said-car through successive substantially parallel planes.

4. The combination with a drop frame type railway freight car, of a fifth-wheel type roadway trailer positioned on said car, a carrier supporting the rearwheels of said trailer on the low platform of said car, a carrier supporting the fifth-wheel portion of said trailer on the high platform of said car, guiding tracks adapted to be placed between said car and platform, and including a guiding track for said rear wheel carrier and a separate guiding track for said fifth-wheel carrier, and means for moving said trailer on said carriers over said tracks from said car to said platform.

5. The combination with a railway freight-car and a fifth-wheel type trailer, of supporting stanchions for supporting said trailer on said car. and cams and levers for elevating and lowering said stanchions, whereby the trailer supported thereby may be elevated to relieve the trailer tires of the load while on the car.

6. A system for transporting freight, comprising a plurality of stations, each having an automobile runway alongside of and parallel with arailroad track, platform cars having end portions at the usual level of flat cars and having lower central portions substantially level with said runways, a carrier element adapted to receive the road wheels of highway trailers, a; further carrier element adapted to receive the fifthwheel portion of said trailers, means to guide the first named carriers onto the lower central portion and the last named carrier onto the higher end portions, said means guiding the trailers bodily sidewlse onto the car on said carriers, which means are fixedly attached to said car, and for similarly guiding them from the cars at each of the stations.

7. In a freight transportation system using highway trailers and drop center type platform railroad cars, the combination of a plurality of road vehicle runways alongside of the "railway track at a plurality of stations and at a height substantially level with the lower platform of the the trailer onto the higher platform'of said railroad car, said movement being accomplished while the trailer is at all times parallel with the 7 railroad car, and said carriers and supporting carriers permitting the trailersto be similarly removed at similar platforms and be attached to tractor vehicles for transportation over highways away from any of said stations.

' KARL J. BAYERL. 

